Tag: Guest Review

My Day-By-Day Safari Journal

2/12/15 – Today we landed in Tanzania; Kilimanjaro Airport. No jet way, just down the stairs to an open tarmac and into a building where Machas from ADS greeted us. The immigration line was long and hot. The anticipation of the next 10 days made it bearable.

We loaded our belongings and ourselves into a vehicle driven by Michael and drove about 50 min to Mt Meru resort. Machas remained with us. Stayed the night…room was nice; wood floors, open shower stall on a beautiful campus located up against Mount Meru.

2/13/15
Up before dawn, ate a buffet breakfast that included fresh fruit, omelet bar, muffins, bacon and sausage. Drove to Arusha airport, went through “security” and boarded a small plane (air Excel) and flew to Kogatende airstrip (North Tanzania, on our approach we made a sharp turn directly over the Mara River…you could see crocs in the river), picked up a European couple, and saw an elephant on our landing. Took off and flew about 25 min back south to the central part of the Serengeti and landed at Seronera airstrip… Both runways were short and gravel.

Upon our arrival we met our driver/guide Pokea “Poquer”. Pokea is short for Elipokea and he is from the Meru Tribe. Our safari began within minutes. We left the airport grounds and ran into a convoy of safari vehicles watching a pride of lionesses and several different age cubs devouring a zebra.

We moved right down the road to watch a herd of elephants, to include a ginormous male, and many young still nursing at times.

Our drive continued towards a neat picnic area at the top of a hill overlooking a corridor where the animal migration takes place during two other times of the year. Lunch consisted of a variety of foods in a box (pb&j, quiche, boiled egg, an item that resembled a meatloaf/pizza, apple, pound cake, nestle kit kat, pineapple juice box). The picnic area also had a small trailer selling snacks and cigarettes and a restroom with an attendant.

After lunch we left the hill and on the way down we spotted a leopard in the crotch of a yellow barked acacia tree. Later a troop of vervet monkeys entertained the five of us playing on the ground while others ate flowers at the top of an acacia tree.

Other animals we saw on today’s drive included wildebeest (met a herd outside our camp as we arrived), topi, hartebeest, reedbuck, Grant gazelle, Thomson gazelle, impala, dik dik, hippos, Maasai giraffe (our welcome committee at our camp as well as many others throughout the day), buffalo, warthog, zebra.

Birds were a plenty (too many to list), the largest being an ostrich; several crossed our path a couple of times today. We witnessed an Egyptian goose couple with a hand full of chicks. Red-billed oxpeckers rode on the giraffes to rid them of bugs/mites. A few others we were able to get photos of include: kori bustard, secretary bird, marabou stork, crown crane, Guinea fowl, heron, lilac breasted roller, superb starling, black wing stilt (orange legs), white belly bustard.

Trees rounded out the landscape. Several species of acacia trees provide shade and food for many of the Serengeti animals (umbrella thorn, yellow barked). Speaking of food, on our way to the picnic area we shot photos of a sausage tree.

We arrived at Seronera Sametu Camp around 6pm. Seronera Sametu Camp is located in the east central Serengeti (Serengeti originates from the Maasai word ’Siringit’, meaning ‘endless plains’). Upon our arrival we requested shower water (hot water is placed in a bucket rigged to push water into an en-suite shower).

Dinner was served at 7, which consisted of pumpkin soup, pan-fried fish, rice, a cucumber salad, mixed vegetables (cauliflower, carrot, green bean), and a roll. For desert Jonas (JJ) surprised the four of us with cakes wishing us Happy Anniversary.

After dinner we retreated to our tents to find the “windows” closed and warm water bottles heating our mosquito netted turned down bed.

2/14/15
Early to rise (5am wake up), breakfast at camp…scrambled eggs, sausage, bacon, porridge, toast, pancakes (reminded me of a fat crepe), and a variety of fresh fruit (pineapple, mango, papaya, watermelon), juice, tea and coffee.

We set out at 6am sharp. The drive started in the dark and off the beaten path. We came across a few hyenas and a couple of bat-eared fox. The sun granted us with its presence about an hour into the drive. The sunrise provided a backdrop for one of the most exciting activities of the morning trek; we witnessed a Hyena (a second one was present but pretty much watched) run down a young Thomson gazelle. The hyena chased the little guy out and back making the kill about 100 yards from our vehicle. As it ate we drove up closer and not only visualized the meal but also heard it.

Gazelles speckled the landscape as far as we could see. Pokea refers to the gazelle as cheetah food. Sure enough, next we came across a mother cheetah and her older cub. Hoping to see a chase we stayed with the pair for a bit. We did get teased when the younger took off after a rabbit; but he/she gave up rather quickly.

Next up was a long, pretty, quiet drive. Pokea had received word of a pair of male lions near our location and with some determination and a U-turn we came upon two male and two female lions resting in the shade of a tree. As part of the same pride, about a quarter of a mile up the road in a make shift den of tree limbs and shrubs, we found a lioness and her three, approx. two month old, cubs. At one point a cub wandered a yard or two out of the den towards our vehicle and the mother made a short, quick grunt and the cub responded immediately by retreating, right back to her side. After nursing the mother and three cubs took a nap.

As lunchtime approached we headed back in the direction of Seronera Sametu Camp. It must have been just past lion lunchtime because we drove up on a male lion resting next to a “skinned” warthog. Two vultures were in close proximity pecking away at scraps.

Further down the road we witnessed three species of vultures (white-back, ruppells griffon and the lappet-faced) finishing off a kill, as we watched a black-backed jackal hurried across the road and jumped right in to the feeding frenzy.

Almost back to camp and getting pretty hungry we spot a newborn Thomson gazelle and become pretty intrigued by how well camouflaged a newborn is once the mother stopped hovering over it. It took us a bit to locate the baby Tommie even in the pretty low vegetation.

Lunch consisted of spaghetti, veggies, and fresh fruit cocktail. After lunch our group spent the next several hours scoping out our camp’s surroundings. Wildebeest, hartebeest, zebra, warthogs, buffalo, elephant and topi grazed the hillside across the valley from our tent.

Kopjes: means little head. Kopjes are rock outcrops. These rock outcrops of the Serengeti are one of the Park’s most delightful habitats. The most visible ones stand out like islands on the plains. They host a variety of vegetation and wildlife.

At 4pm we returned to our vehicle and drove towards the Maasai Kopjes where we were met by a handful of giraffes grazing on small acacia trees. From there we traveled with a plan to explore the Sametu Marsh Kopjes when another driver alerted Pokea of a leopard with a kill high in a nearby umbrella thorn acacia tree. Upon our arrival the leopard moved/leaped higher in the tree leaving two kills lower and viewable by our cameras; we didn’t stay long as it appeared the leopard might be a bit skittish and disturbed by our presence.

Continuing onto the Sametu Marsh Kopjes, thankful we stayed the course, landed us a lengthy visit with about a dozen elephants. We were able to watch them eat, play, nurse, relieve themselves before they sauntered off the kopjes out onto the plains.

Before leaving camp for our afternoon excursion Tami arranged for a group photo in our vehicle and then asked Pokea if he’d assist with setting up a great sunset photo shoot upon our return “home”. Wow, Pokea met Tami’s challenge with a bit of off-roading and good timing; successful photo opportunity of the sunset. As we approached camp we spotted a hyena running through tall grass with a kill.

Shortly after our return to camp just long enough to shower dinner was served, comprised of lentil soup, grilled pork chop, potatoes, mixed veggies (hot and cold) and desert (passion fruit cheesecake).

During dinner the camp staff prepares your tent for sleep by closing the “windows”, dropping mosquito netting and placing warm water bladders into our turned down bed.

2/15/15
Wake up was at 5, breakfast 5:30 (great selection to include Spanish omelets). We were on the road at 6:10. The first animal we came upon, a civet, scurried off too quickly for a photo. A newborn wildebeest tracked us down to see if we were his mother or maybe asking directions. He ran toward a herd of wildebeest angling away from hyenas we spotted nearby. A few jackals crossed our path on our way to see “Steve”, the leopard, in his tree. Next we watched two cheetahs playing around a tree and on and off the road.

Pokea decided we’d eat lunch at Ngon Rock so we took in the scenery and animals on our way. We saw giraffe, dik dik, and elephants (spent a lengthy visit with the elephants). A large male showed us how he could extend his reach by kneeling on one knee.

During our drive Pokea stopped because a handful of guinea fowl were agitated and angry. We spotted the source of their anxiety, a serval creeping up to them. A martial eagle perched atop a tree looking over his territory allowed us a photo op. Next we saw our first baboons, speckling the top of an acacia tree shoveling flowers one at a time into their mouths. We slowly approached a male lion resting in the grass; Pokea was able to get close enough that we were able to smell his breath…not good.

Our drive took us past a kopje with a set of Maasai Paintings and a cave where ten warriors lived up until about 100 years ago. We enjoyed a box lunch at Ngon Rock (a conference area for Maasai Warrior Chief). A large orange slice shaped rock and a small stone hit together provided the Chief a bell to summons his people. After eating we drove approx. a quarter mile up the road and found 3 female and a very young male lion resting on the rocks. Up a bit further we past a second set of lions resting on rocks.

Pokea educated us to impala behaviors as we approached a large herd of impalas; one male gets to be patriarch of ALL of the females while all other mature males form a bachelor herd. We arrived to our final destination, Retima Hippo Pool; in a downpour…brief visit but entertaining.

We refueled and used the facilities at the Park’s Visitor Center. The grounds are home to many hyraxes. Heading back to camp Pokea spotted another leopard about 150 yards out lounging in a sausage tree; to be sure Steve wasn’t jealous we checked on him as well on our way back to camp.

Dinner was leek soup, steak, mashed potatoes, mixed veggies and a roll, and banana custard for desert. We ate with Fran, Mark and Wilfred, the only other residents.

2/16/15
Packed up and said goodbye to Seronera Sametu Camp staff after eating a made to order breakfast. We passed by Steve’s tree to wish him well. He was still there along with his two day old kills. Took a few photos of a pretty new zebra before we met up with a herd of elephants two of which were in a “heated discussion”; obtained footage of their water break and their return to action.

The start of rainy season, February, is a time for many births in the Serengeti. Today we drove by a mother and newborn giraffe (still had umbilical cord) and hartebeest and their babies. Another newborn wildebeest approached our vehicle looking for its mother. The wildebeest calf “talked” to Pokea for a bit before we drove off leaving it to find its mother.

Two young male lions made it difficult for us to get to the Sometu Kopjes because they were lounging in the middle of the “road”. Pokea wanted to have lunch upon arriving to the Sometu Kopjes but every kopje had either lions or hyenas occupying our planned rest stop. By the fifth formation and tons of photos of lions, hyenas (mating pair), jackals, agama lizards (male, two colored orange/red and blue) we couldn’t wait any longer. With hyenas on one side we drove to the other and had a “standing” picnic lunch.

After lunch we continued our journey towards the Ndutu area of the park passing a kopje with an owl in the crack; the “Devil Tree” which accommodated a large lappet-faced vulture nest; and a herd of Thomson gazelle (two of which were clashing). Warthogs grazing and marabou storks kept us entertained on the way to Ndutu Lake to watch the flamingos feed. The water in Ndutu Lake is alkaline and very salty providing less pink food for the flamingos, hence their white color. We did see one spread its wings and saw a brilliant pink under layer.

It rained the last bit of today’s trip; our approach to our new home for the next three nights – Camp Masek. Camp Masek sits high, elevation: 5070 ft., overlooking Lake Masek. This was our first chance for Wi-Fi (slow but a nice perk). Camp Masek is eco-friendly. All power is supplied by solar electricity. Rainwater is harvested and collected for use. Ndutu Lake Woodlands reside in the southern plains of the Serengeti. Camp Masek employs several Maasai Warriors to guard and escort safari guests around campus. Hippos and buffalo are known to roam the grounds at night.

We arrived and were warmly greeted with a snack and a short briefing about our stay and introduction to our tent in preparation for dinner. Our group joined Mark, Fran and Wilfred (their driver/guide) in the large lodge for dinner. We enjoyed a buffet dinner with an open bar. Franreynolds@comcast.net

First night proved to be adrenaline filled; shower time in particular (outside shower). We heard several lion growls/roars and hippo yells as we showered and prepared for sleep. While at dinner our tent was prepared by an attendant for sleep…mosquito netting and window closures. No warm water bladders.

2/17/15
Wake up call at 5:30; got a late start this morning because we were busy chatting with Mark and Fran at the lodge. We left for our drive shortly before 7. Stopped to watch the flamingoes at Ndutu Lake on our way to the migration. Prior to reaching our destination we came upon a cheetah just passing through. We saw more lions today, three females, two of which were resting and one was grazing on grass to aid her upset stomach.

Just off the road we spotted a mother hyena and three 6-7 month old pups laying on their den, eventually two wandered off and we left to move on to our next amazing sight…millions of zebras and wildebeest migrating to the rain. As far as we could see in all directions and for several kilometers of driving zebras and wildebeest speckled the horizon. At times it seemed like every third wildebeest was a newborn, many young zebras as well. Pokea told the group that 30-35% of the wildebeest die each migration due to three reasons: natural causes, predators, water. During the drive we spotted several hyenas and a jackal or two, none of which were interested in feeding. Elands (Serengeti’s largest antelope), gazelles, impalas and lots of birds rounded out our morning drive.

As we drove you could look down on the ground and watch balls of dung being rolled by dung beetles. While stopped to video this crazy creature in action a newborn wildebeest, still wet from birth, wandered up to us calling out for its mother. It attached itself to our vehicle. Pokea lead it by driving towards a herd of wildebeest to encourage it to find an adoptive mother. Speaking of wildebeest we had the pleasure of watching about two-dozen or so vultures “pick apart” a dead wildebeest on our way back to camp for lunch. The couple hour break was nice as Camp Masek is on a hill with steep and rocky terrain that makes for bumpy rides in out of camp each drive.

After lunch we drove to the Large Marsh, an area known to host lion and cheetah breeding. No such luck for our group, all was quiet in the marsh. On our way there we were lucky enough to catch a mother Cheetah and her two cubs (approx. 4 mos.) lounging in the short grass just outside of the migration area. Also on our way we came across a grounded tawny eagle that had caught herself a stork. Many of the usual animals showed up on our drive home: zebras, giraffes, elephants, and impalas.

We arrived back to camp around 6:30 (Conservation area as well as Serengeti National Park close at 6pm). Cleaned up for a 7:30 dinner. Mark, Fran, and Wilfred, their driver/guide joined us for a three-course buffet with open bar, could easily get use to this.

2/18/15
Early breakfast again today, left by 645. Pokea took us by a temporary Maasai camp. A small clearing with a few mud and stick huts as well as a makeshift pen to put their cattle at night. Dogs protect the cattle from predators during the night.

We drove towards the migration at sun up to maximize the chance of a “hunt”. Not to disappoint the cheetahs blessed us with their presence. I think we saw a total of 5 but it was hard to keep count. We witnessed one attempt to chase down a gazelle, a second ran far in the distance after what we think was a gazelle as well. We followed several more as they strolled through the migration. As we searched for more action we noticed a group of safari vehicles and drove by to catch a glimpse of a cheetah that had a kill (baby wildebeest).

We departed just as she started to eat to allow her space and privacy. We saw more hyenas today…a group of seven at one home range (a den with several openings to accommodate a pack of females with their cubs). 2 female lions sleeping, neither moved even when we drove up to check them out.

Birds captured our attention today as well. We briefly saw an African Grass Owl (flew off before photo); a Verreaux owl; an adolescent Bateleur Eagle as well as a male Kori Bustard (largest flying bird in Africa) with a swollen neck, hoping to attract a female partner. We found several small birds (love birds) bathing in a puddle.

A mid size leopard turtle missing his left front foot scooted across the road in front of us. Just one occasion Pokea’s amazing eyesight prevailed; they blend in to their surroundings quite well.

Back to camp for lunch, where we dined on amazing fried tilapia and beans/rice on the back deck overlooking Lake Masek. A nice restful afternoon and back out for a drive around Lake Masek. Met up with a few of the hippos who swam close to the shore; several of which we photographed out of the water at lunch from the lodge deck. A mother hippo and her very young calf relaxed just off shore, pretty far for a decent photo, though. Vervet monkeys showed up around the second bend of the lake where we searched for a leopard spotted earlier in the day by others, no luck. On the opposite side of the lake Pokea drove us into the wildebeest graveyard, bones and skulls with antlers piled on the lakeshore indicative of the risk animals take to cross water in search of grass and following the rains. We returned to camp to enjoy another 3-course meal before retiring to our tent, rested well until 430am when the roar of lions awoke us.

2/19/15
Slept in today and enjoyed a quiet breakfast in the lodge prior to packing all of our bags to leave Camp Masek. We picked out items from a smorgasbord of fixing’s for our lunch we planned to eat on our way to the Ngorogoro Mountains.

Each group must register and pay a fee to enter a National Park or Conservation area; groups sign in/out at the ranger post. Both entering and leaving the Ndutu area the Ranger was not at the post because he was registering arriving and departing guests at the airport; we found him there and signed out. Thinking we were finished seeing all the migration had to offer Pokea made a quick detour when he spotted the passage of zebras, wildebeest, and giraffes across Lake Ndutu. Quite an amazing image, it looked almost like a parade of marching bands.

The middle part of the day we spent driving towards the Ngorogoro Mountains on a “highway”. It was flat, rocky and vehicles drove very fast; it didn’t help that the wind blew hard today. Along the way we came upon a young couple and the vehicle they drove, apparently on a self guided tour and unprepared for the road conditions. They had wrecked, flipped a complete turn but were uninjured awaiting the police and a tow when we stopped to ask if they needed any assistance.

Maasai Village: paid $40 to hear and see the village. The Chief’s son met us at our vehicle, accepted our monetary offering and facilitated the dances. Men and women danced separately. After dancing we joined the tribe inside their meeting place (also used to corral their animals at night) to witness the tribe’s “jumping” ritual. We received a lecture about their culture during our tour of the village.

This village practices polygamy, not all do. Each husband’s wives had their own home. Each home has four rooms: wife/husband bedroom, children bedroom, a kitchen and a living room. They were made of sticks, bushes branches, cardboard and mud. Women have five jobs: build homes, child rearing, laundry, preparing food (consists of milk, blood and meat), and making crafts for the market. The village obtains blood from their cows without killing them. They tourniquet their neck, poke it with an arrow and drain out about a liter. Men have two jobs: protecting the village and shepherding the animals to and from water/grass to graze.

About 120 people live in this village, all one family. The grandfather rules the village while the grandmother acts as a midwife and assists the women with childbirth. As men of the village find women from other villages and marry they bring them to the man’s village, exchange animals (dowry: cows, goats, donkey and sheep). We joined the school-aged children in their schoolhouse. Ages 3-10 attend school in the village schoolhouse while the older children attend secondary school in Ngorogoro or Arusha (boarding school). The primary source of income is the village market: crafts made by the women and sold to the tourist to help pay for food, water, clothing and school supplies.

Returned to the road and made our way to Ngorogoro Crater. We passed several more villages and grazing animals with Maasai “shepherds”. The landscape was eye-catching but we were unable to stop for photos along this stretch. We even saw a handful of camel.

We arrived at the crater rim around 1:25 pm (elev. 6700 ft), signed in at the ranger station, used the facilities and proceeded down the steep and rocky one-way road into the west (Serena) side of the crater. This area is referred to as a crater but it is actually a caldera (the sunken or collapsed cone of a volcano). It is the largest inactive and unbroken caldera in the world. The crater is 100 square miles, ten miles across and speckled with animals. The animals had to wait while we ate lunch in the LeRai forest. A troop of baboons crossed our path as we approached the picnic site.

After lunch we drove the crater roads looking for action. The crater is a microcosm of the Serengeti: open grasslands, streams, lakes, forests, and hills, all of the habitats that allow many animals to live in such a small area. On our first day within a few hours of our arrival we spotted 2 rhinos, pretty far from the road but still able to be seen.

While cruising the crater roads Pokea introduced us to his favorite bird, the crown crane, they travel in pairs and mate for life. Lions lying in the bushes brought on a convoy of safari vehicles, we took a quick peek but didn’t stay long allowing others to get a glimpse.

We left the crater on the opposite side we entered, heading east (Sopa) we ascended the crater wall and found Lion’s Paw Tented Camp hidden within a misty forest of acacia trees and ferns. Lion’s Paw resembles Seronera Sametu Camp, small and private. Tonight we joined the other residents of the camp at a bon fire. We visited with Fran and Mark as well as Luxpe and M.P. (Ann Arbor, MI – from India); Heidi and Dan (San Francisco Bay Area); Julie and Bob (Big Island, HI). Julie and Heidi are sisters. We had dinner in the main lodge and said our good byes and good nights.

2/20/15
Up early, breakfast at 5:30 and we were on the road at 6:15. Checked in at the ranger station to obtain entry permits. Shot a few photos of the sunrise and misted crater wall on our descent into the crater. On our way to Ngoitokitok Springs, our destination, we filmed zebras playing, jackals sleeping, elephants grazing and spotted 5 Black Rhinos, two on one side of the road and three on the other.

After taking many photos of the rhinos we moved up the road a bit where we watched hippos play. Speaking of hippos or should I say hippos speaking – Ngoitokitok Springs home to many hippos; we heard lots of hippo “noise”. We were able to record their grunts and howls. Many safari vehicles enjoyed breakfast at the springs while we were able to utilize the facilities. Hyenas roamed just off the hills in close proximity to dining guests. Back to the drive…hyenas and lions, the hyenas were close to the road, female lions in the bushes and two beautiful male lions lying next to a tree.

The late morning proved to be a delight. First, we witnessed a newborn wildebeest (learning to stand/walk, nurse and hop around). The mother wildebeest remained quite still for most of the ten minutes we observed the two getting acquainted. Secondly, we watched black rhinos mate; almost certain this is not an activity one sees very often since there are only approx. 115 black rhinos left in the world.

We returned to Ngoitokitok Springs for lunch, wow many vehicles had the same program for today (although we were told that the safari business is not doing well and this is considered a low census for lunch). Pokea asked us to eat in the car and get out after we complete our meal because of a dangerous bird, the Kite, which will attack people to get their food. While eating, the view out of the car windows (our “flat screen”) provided several humorous short clips: First, two hippos chasing each other emerged from the spring and ran towards people enjoying the view. People scattered and one dude even climbed the tree. Secondly, a French safari customer dining out of his car next to us attempted “ninja” moves in defending his lunch…he was not successful. It took two kites to strip his sandwich from him. Our group had plenty of laughs during today’s lunch.

After lunch our main goal was to see a “baby” buffalo and to travel the Rumbe Hills (or the Ang’ata Kit translated Women’s belt in Swahili), which is where many buffalo roam because of the longer grass. This area is also home to the resident lion pride. On our way to the hills we found a wildebeest stuck and or possibly injured in a shallow water hole containing a half dozen or so hippos. We hung out for a bit because we spotted a hyena anticipating the wildebeests doomed outcome. At one point a hippo chased off the hyena but the hippos did not seem to mind the wildebeest in their space.

On the backside of the Hills, eastern section of the crater, we found a large herd of buffalo, males, females and their young. The quick ascent to camp was briefly hampered by two large groups of Maasai cattle herds and their young men shepherds. Early return to camp gave us plenty of time to relax and get to know camp staff, shower and plan for dinner. Edward served us fresh roasted cashews with drinks before dinner. Tonight was broccoli soup (cinnamon roll), beef, sautéed potatoes and green beans. For desert Edward presented us with a going away cake.

2/21/15
Wake up at 530; breakfast at 6 and said good-bye to Lion’s Paw and off to Lake Manyara. We drove the rim road for about a third of the way around the crater and then headed down through farm country and the town of Karatu. We arrived at Lake Manyara National Conservatory and waited in the car for Pokea to check in and obtain entry permits.

Last game drive of our trip introduced us to the blue monkey and the monitor lizard. We have already crossed paths with the other animals residing in this area: baboons (lots of baboons, this park is sometimes referred to as Baboon Park), vervet monkey, hippo, elephant, wildebeest, gazelle, buffalo, and warthog. The park’s trees and foliage made it difficult to find the resident lion pride or see a leopard but it diversified our safari experience and was worth the quick trip in and out. We enjoyed our last meal/box lunch in the bush at a nice picnic area just inside the park exit.

After lunch we returned to the road, black top, yay. Pokea received a call to inform us that Mt Meru Resort was too busy and our day room was changed to The African Tulip (not African Toilet). Nice place, dinner was ok, shower refreshing but we were ready to be home. Machas and Timon met us at the hotel and drove us to Kilimanjaro Airport, pulling over on the crazy highway so we could photograph Mt Kilimanjaro, which is usually difficult to see due to fog/smoke/clouds.

The airport stay went by surprisingly quick. Our KLM flight to Amsterdam was smooth, with a quick stop in Rwanda (Kigali airport). Trip home went well, no issues. Arrived in Denver on time to a good 6 to 10 inches of snow. Our wonderful neighbors had already shoveled our drives and sidewalks.

Wendy and John M.
Thonton, Colorado
Safari Dates: February 12, 2015 to February 21, 2015

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Our First Day Felt Like We Were On A Movie Set!

We were prepared to see all kinds of wildlife but nothing can prepare one for the feeling of turning a corner and seeing your first group of lions lying by the side of the road or a huge elephant walking so close to your car that you can hear him breathe. Our first day felt like we were on a movie set.

Our awesome guide Wilfred was like a walking encyclopedia and an exceptional and accommodating driver. One night during a fierce rain storm when the roads looked more like rivers, he navigated us without hesitation to our destination. We were enthralled to see many baby animals and stayed for over an hour to watch two lion cubs and their mama sunning and playing on a rock.

We were not prepared for the magnificent landscapes that Tanzania offers and the beatific and varied vistas. Many desktop pictures created! Another surprise was the exceptional food at the camps we stayed in. It was beyond our imagination how these fabulous meals were prepared, given the remote locations, but every meal was simply superb. Even for a vegetarian there was plenty to eat.

Kudos to Sharon and all the ADS staff for making this a trip of a lifetime!

Fran R. & Mark B.
Silver Spring, Maryland
Safari Dates: February 13, 2015 to February 20, 2015

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Babies, Babies and More Babies – My February 2015 Safari

Tanzania in February – what a trip! Africa Dream Safaris you nailed it. From our initial email inquiring about our trip, our planning emails and phone calls with Dawn, our trip itself and our welcome home, the entire ADS experience was amazing and beyond words. You have to be there in the moment and experience it yourself to understand.

It is difficult to pinpoint or describe what made this trip one of a lifetime. Our Driver/Guide worked with us to plan each day’s drive. He made sure we experienced all Tanzania has to offer in a safe, professional and authentic manner. Our safari vehicle was comfortable and accommodated the four of us nicely. Thanks ADS, Dawn, Pokea we enjoyed our trip.

Wendy and John M.
Thonton, Colorado
Safari Dates: February 12, 2015 to February 21, 2015

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Serengeti Safari – February 2015

We had an amazing time in Tanzania! Every member of the Africa Dream Safaris staff that we spoke with was helpful, informative and very pleasant. The food was good, the service was excellent and the animals were extraordinary! Here are a few pictures from my safari with the cheetah photo being our favorite.

Tami and Dan R.
Thornton, Colorado
Safari Dates: February 12, 2015 to February 21, 2015

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I Stand In Quiet Awe…

For anyone thinking about planning to take a similar trip, I would be doing you a injustice if I did not recommend African Dream Safari as your tour company and Ally as your guide. From the very first contact with Dawn it has been an amazing process and a great company to work with. I can’t imagine having experienced this with anyone else.

If you would like to read my day-by-day safari journal, you can access it here on this link: http://africanadventuresofpeepandpickles.com/

I have fallen in love with Africa all over again. Now, not just the animals, but the culture, the people…everything! I WILL go back one day. I will end with this quote:

“But when, fifty years from now, a lion walks into the red dawn and roars resoundingly, it will mean something to people and quicken their hearts whether they are Africans or Europeans, or whether they speak English, German, Russian or Swahili. They will stand in quiet awe as, for the first time in their lives, they watch twenty thousand zebras wander across the endless plains.” Bernhard Grzimek, 1959

I stand in quiet awe…

Debra H. and Richard P.
Murfreesboro, Tennessee
Safari Dates: February 1, 2015 to February 11, 2015

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Meet Bam-Bam

At the Four Seasons Lodge in the Serengeti, I left our door open for 5 minutes while unpacking. This baboon (we nicknamed Bam-Bam) came in and took an apple and smashed a tangerine on the floor! What a great story I had to tell!

Thanks for making this a trip of a lifetime!

Bonnie W.
Marina Del Rey, California

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We Felt Welcome And “In Good Hands”

We had very high expectations of our trip of a lifetime based on everything we had heard and read about Africa Dream Safaris. What we actually experienced exceeded our expectations. From our arrival to our departure we felt welcome and “in good hands”.

Our driver/guide, Francis, was friendly, knowledgeable and engaging. It was obvious from the first day he loves his job and the animals of the Serengeti. One day we came upon a herd of 40-50 elephants, from babies to bulls. Francis seemed to be as transfixed as the rest of us by their presence and majesty as they surrounded our vehicle. He later told us the elephant was his favorite animal and he never grew tired of watching them.

The accommodations were first rate and the staff was anticipatory of our every request. The four camps where we stayed were clean, comfortable and staffed with friendly and helpful people. All in all it was an experience we will always cherish and highly recommend to others.

John R. and Barbara B.
Boise, Idaho
Safari Dates: September 27, 2014 to October 6, 2014

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We Saw 86 Different Species Of Animals!

My husband has wanted to travel to Africa and “see animals” since he was a small child. Visiting Africa was the number one item on his bucket list. After several months of research, he selected Africa Dream Safaris. The dream became a reality when we left Arusha September 30th.

Our 10 day safari was everything we dreamed of and more. Our guide Malaki ensured that we encountered amazing sights every single day! When we had seen the “big 5” on day 2, we wondered what the future days would hold for us. That was not a concern. We saw 86 different species of animals. We saw two leopards in a tree with a herd of elephants passing beneath them. Even on our last day on the return drive to Arusha we saw a female Gerenuk (Malaki had not seen the species in 5 years), and two cheetahs (mother and son) near the road.

Our most memorable sight was an amazing river crossing of wildebeest and zebra that lasted more than 30 minutes. Thundering wildebeest jumping off a cliff is an awe inspiring sight! The Serengeti is a special place. The Swahili definition of the word Serengeti (Endless Plain) is appropriate.

The camps were wonderful (6:00 am delivery of flavorful coffee to our tent exceeded our expectations). The people were extremely friendly and welcoming. The country is beautiful. A sunset with a Flat Top Acacia tree in the foreground is breath taking.

We would definitely recommend ADS. We had the trip of a lifetime. Dawn helped to ensure that we knew what to expect, and that we were prepared. Malaki made the trip so special – he was a wonderful guide who we will always remember. He had four engineers in the vehicle and he patiently answered our questions about the vehicle (fuel capacity, whether thorns from Whistling Acacia trees cause flat tires, etc.) as well as geography, animal habitats, etc. He helped us learn about the country, the people, and the animals of Tanzania. We have so many wonderful memories. Asante.

Mike and Susan H.
Columbus, Indiana
Safari Dates: September 30, 2014 to October 8, 2014

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We Knew We Had To Bring Our Children For A 2nd Safari

With ADS’s help, my wife and I had first visited Tanzania in January 2011. We were speechless at the Serengeti beauty, the animals, the accommodations and the whole trip! Immediately, we knew we had to bring our children.

This experience was something that they would remember their entire lives and the planning began. We were finally able to organize the family safari for December 2015 and it was awesome. Once again, ADS did a fantastic job. From the moment we touched down in Kilimanjaro to the moment we left, ADS had organized the entire trip to perfection.

We’d tried to describe to the kids what we had experienced in our first trip, but words cannot do it justice. As the bush plane landed at Ndutu, our kids were glued to the airplane windows watching the zebras, wildebeests and giraffes grazing along the runway. You could see it in their eyes, this would be a trip like nothing they’d ever experienced before.

Our guides, Anglebert and Emmanuel, were exceptional. Their knowledge of the terrain, animals, culture and country was a huge part of the trip. By the end of the first day, we felt like we’d known them for years and they were friends of the family. Our accommodations (all three tent camps) were outstanding.

You can’t believe that you could be treated so well out in the bush! ADS did a great job organizing our trip and should we be able to visit Tanzania again…ADS will be our first call!

With much gratitude for your efforts,

Bill and Sarah V.
Evansville, Indiana
December 22, 2015 to December 29, 2015

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Our African Dream Safari

Our group traveled from the U.S. to Amsterdam where we explored that city for two days and nights, and then flew on to Africa. We arrived at the Arusha airport in the early evening where the ADS staff met us and escorted us through the necessary processing into the country. They then drove us to the Mt. Meru resort hotel for our first night’s stay in Arusha, Tanzania. The hotel was luxurious and the staff upbeat, polite and accommodating in every way.

Our group of eight spent an extra day at the hotel/resort to refresh after the long trip. We began our safari adventure with a smooth bush flight to the North Serengeti. The flight gave us an aerial view of the African mountains, volcano craters, and the plains. The very first day of our adventure was unbelievable. My words will not do justice to the thrills and excitement we all felt repeatedly as we observed Africa’s wild life in the beautiful and natural Serengeti.

Our ADS driver guides, Ellison and Emmanuel, knew exactly where to take us to see the most animals in the least amount of time. They told us we’d need patience for good observations, but we didn’t have to wait long to see a Mara River crossing by a significantly large herd of zebras and wildebeests. We also saw some crocodiles in and out of the water, but no attacks during the crossing. What a thrill to see this magnificent event in its entirety so early in our itinerary.

On this first day we also saw lions, elephants, giraffes, hippos and cape buffalos. All of these sightings were up close and personal, made possible by our experienced and talented ADS driver guides. Each day brought new and different sightings. We observed the plains covered for miles with the migrating animals, and there were so many we almost came to think seeing huge herds of wildebeests and zebras to be routine.

Our accommodations at the Serengeti Bushtops camp on our first night in the bush were surprisingly first class. Both the facilities and the food were excellent. Plenty of hot water and electricity were available 24 hours in all of our camps. The staff was uniformly positive and service oriented. At Bushtops, I began my learning of a few Swahili phrases with Richard, a very outgoing and friendly member of the camp staff.

Awaking from a restful night in our tent, we discovered a few zebra wandering right outside. After a delicious full breakfast, our day in the wild commenced early and we spent all day viewing more and more of Africa’s wild creatures. One pride of lionesses numbered at least fifteen resting animals, and soon we saw two male lions atop the kopjes (a stony outcrop). We also spied a male leopard perched high on the kopjes. What a magnificent creature.

The next days were filled with sightings of more lions, huge numbers of giraffes (we saw a neck fight) large and small herds of elephants both on the plains and in the forests where the damage to trees was significant. Hippos were abundant in many pools and rivers and the antelope, gazelles, hartebeests, warthogs, hyenas and jackals became more abundant as we explored further into the plains. We even saw a black and white Colobus monkey running in a small forest, a very rare sight in this part of the Serengeti.

Our guides pointed out numerous birds such as vultures, storks, secretary birds, hawks and eagles. We even saw a huge owl. We saw ostriches, one that was performing a mating dance for a female, as well as flamingoes and many others I won’t name. And, we were able to drive very close to two resting cheetahs. As we watched, they ambled down through the brush to the edge of an open area filled with gazelles and antelope. They didn’t immediately give chase, but we knew they would sometime soon.

I’ve talked lots about our good viewing fortune, but I’ve reserved until now the one sighting in the Serengeti that all in our group treasures. As we drove past another kopjes, we spotted a black rhino meandering through the tall grass, only a short distance from our vehicle. We were able to see and photo this endangered creature from within 100 feet and closer as we followed her through the area. Many visitors don’t benefit from this sighting in the Serengeti. Ellison said this was only his second sighting of a rhino in the area after eight years as a driver guide. He told us there still are no more than 20 living in the area. What a thrill!!

During our eight days in the wild, we never ceased to marvel at the numbers and variety of animals that we observed. We spent two nights at the Migration Camp, also a very nice camp, and two nights at the more primitive Seonara Sametu Camp, still a wonderful camp. It was a thrilling experience to hear the animals visit our camps during the night. Our last bush night at the Lion’s paw camp was the most primitive, though the staff was always available to respond to our tiniest need and the experience was wonderfully wild, listening to hyenas howl and lions huff just outside.

Our final days were spent visiting Olduvai Gorge (site of the Louis and Mary Leakey discoveries of early humans) and the Ngorongoro Crater. In this conservation area, we saw more of the animals we’d been observing, though in the crater their behavior is less frantic than in the Serengeti. Here we observed lions, especially thrilled by two large males in open grass.

More elephants and giraffes were seen in the forest, flamingos and hippos in the salt lakes and the fresh water ponds, monkeys and multitudes of baboons, lions, and many more. And then again, we were fortunate to spot more black rhinos (they are more easily sighted in this contained ecosystem). We saw a mother and young rhino very close to our vehicle, and several sightings a bit further away in other locations in the crater.

Our last day included a stop and tour at the Foundation For African Medicine and Education (FAME) facilities in Karatu. This is a worthwhile charity providing medical care and education for Tanzanians. Our last night on Safari was at the luxurious Ngorongoro Manor lodge where the staff and facilities are all very first class.

We also visited Lake Manyara on our way back to Arusha and saw velvet and blue monkeys, waterbuck, numerous birds and fowl, baboons, hippos and flamingoes. Our last day in Africa was spent relaxing at the Mt. Meru resort before departing for Arusha and our flight back to the U.S. On the drive, our driver guide told us we were among the luckiest guests he has served, having seen all that we did, and now there is a clear sighting of Mt. Kilimanjaro fully to the peak. We stopped to take photos, of course, and then, back to the airport and the hardest part of the trip being…our long, long, return flight home.

But this trip, for any who ask, is the event of a lifetime. In every single aspect this is an adventure we are blessed and thankful to have made.

Linda and Ted S.
Huddleston, Virginia
Safari Dates: September 17, 2014 to September 27, 2014


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Thrown into the Lion King!


Not sure what it is about Africa that gets under my skin, but I am sitting here at Rome airport with the last remaining red dust in my hair, saying goodbye to one heck of an experience!

A lifetime ago, but only a few weeks ago, Chris and I flew into Kilimanjaro airport, then took a small plane to the North Serengeti. There, we met our 32 year old Maasai game driver. He packed us into the 8-seater Toyota Land Cruiser, and boy, were we in for a wild ride! Or as locals say, an African massage – the 4 wheel drives through the wild, searching for the wilder life ahead.

All 10 days of the game drive were full of surprises- our vocabulary consisted of three words/expressions: OMG, WOW , and asante sana (thank you). Our driver, Emanuel, took us into the North Serengeti the first day, and we learned the basic three rules of life here: #1 Get Food, #2 Reproduce and #3 Try Not To Get Killed. The rest of the journey, we learned the patterns of behavior around these three rules- a harmony of nature that speaks to the simplicity and nasty brilliance of the order here. Nature teaches us such important lessons…

Within the first few hours of bouncing through the rough fields, Emanuel had spotted 3 of the Big 5, and i was not sure if I had been thrown into Lion King, or was living a National Geographic adventure. Graceful Maasai giraffes were all around us, and we passed lionesses with cubs under a nearby tree.

Emanuel was determined to get us to North Serengeti as the great wildebeest migration was taking place across the Mara river. Wildebeests have herd behavior in their annual migration, and they negotiate, so they will come close to crossing, then step back while we have our zoom lenses poised, and we will have to wait 2 hours for another decision.

The final decision is made by a female wildebeest, and of course is usually right. This is a wonderful opportunity for crocodiles, lions, hyena, vultures etc. to have their Thanksgiving dinner, as the weak wildebeest are such a nice treat. We saw two lions enjoying such a big meal, and here it was – the basic rule #1. There was a line-up with vultures overhead, and hyenas watching for their turn. Soon, there would be nothing left. Talk about a great recycling program!

The most fantastic lessons we learned were lessons of animal partnerships i.e. zebras travel with these wildebeests, because zebras have great eyesight, and eat different grasses, can’t smell a thing, and wildebeests are quite blind, can smell rain miles away, so they make one great team. As well, grazers (buffalo) work well with browsers (giraffe) because they eat different diets, as well. Elephants do both, and driving through elephant country is driving through mass destruction – trees ripped apart, stampeded undergrowth everywhere! But they are so cute!

Tanzania has more than 120 tribal groups in its hills and plains. There are ancient bushmen tribes that represent some of the most primitive of all. They are isolated from outer world, and survive on roots, snakes, baboons, and wild fruit. A prominent proud nomadic tribe called the Maasai are tall, graceful, dressed in stunning colors, and use their cows like we use ATM machines. They live with their cows, claim wealth according to # of cows, (therefore more wives) and drink cow milk mixed with cow blood as a main meal (sorry if I ruined your next meal). Emanuel took us to a non touristy Maasai village where he knew most of the people, and we went into their small dung-mud huts to see the interior designs. Lynn wouldn’t have approved…There people walked miles and miles each day to find food for their cattle, often with 2 or 3 youngsters helping herd the cattle.

One afternoon, we came across a lion and pregnant lioness, but our truck got stuck in a hole, and the lion roared really loudly. I was standing up in the truck at the time, and my new sunglasses flew out of the truck. Emanuel rocked the truck and called for help, but eventually got us out. Chris rolled up the windows quickly, and I sat down- asked Emanuel to forget the sunglasses, but he went back, and put the truck between lion and sunglasses, then swooped down and grabbed them. We motored out of there full throttle, hearts pounding!

Another day, we saw a leopard and two cheetahs on the hunt…so graceful and fluid as magnificent pussy cats you want to reach out and just hug! As well, we saw a huge pool of hippos all cuddle up together, waddling in the water, pink behind the ears with their gel-like SPF they secrete to protect them from the sun. A piece of trivia- what do zebras sound like when they make noises? Answer: dogs!

After travelling from North to South Serengeti, we came to the Olduvai Gorge. Here is an example of shifting plate tectonics where millions of years of archaeology are presented in a shelf for the viewing. And here is where Dr. and Mrs. Leakey made one of the most important archaeologic discoveries of our time- the “first footprint” that linked present day man to our primate forefathers.

Onto the huge Ngorongoro Crater, a 22×18 km sanctuary for all kinds of wildlife. We stayed in a camp on the edge of the crater, then went early morning to see many lions, cubs, elephants, and finally our rhinos! We made the big 5!

Near the end of our trip, we had the good fortune to stay in Swala Tented Lodge before heading to Arusha. What a luxury retreat! Hot water 24 hours a day! On arrival, an elephant was drinking out of the infinity pool, and later, lions had come to have a nice drink before bed. This was a good stone’s throw from our dinner table, and I ate very quickly with one eye on the lion! Our staff knew the behavior of these wild game and had no fear. They simply understand and respect each other.

The company we travelled with was African Dream Safari. They support a modern medical hospital, where an American cardiologist, Dr. Frank, and wife have devoted the last 12 year of their life building. It cares for a full range of tribal and tourist patients, and delivers superb care. Dr. Frank told me that he had three European neurologists vist when an American tourist came in with chronic headaches. One of the neurologists saw papilloedema in her fundi, and diagnosed a blood clot. She was transferred urgently to a nearby hospital, and had appropriate care. Would this have been picked up if she were home? Not so sure. Physician staff is international and telemedicine is used regularly. How unbelievable to hear that tuberculosis and malaria are so common here. How good to hear that HIV is on the decline.

Chris F. and Gail P.
Kelowna, Canada
Safari Dates: October 8, 2014 to October 18, 2014

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For Those Wondering If A Private Safari Is For You…

Wow! How do you begin to describe the incredible Tanzania safari we made recently with ADS. Everything from the beginning planning stages through to helping us make arrangements to get to Southern Africa for the second part of our Africa experience was handled in the most professional way. We particularly appreciated the patience and timely answers to our many questions.

We did have concerns that we would have some problems because my wife is an above knee amputee and her prosthesis requires several hours of charging each night. We need not have worried because every camp we visited was aware of her needs and arrangements had been made well ahead of time.

We were amazed at the amount of training that the guides have received. Our guide could answer nearly every question we asked from identifying an animal (including even the genus and species) to describing diet preferences and gestation periods. When we arrived we weren’t “birders” but after seeing the hundreds of different birds identified for us we have a whole new appreciation for the diversity of bird life in Tanzania.

For those wondering if a private safari is for you, the answer is a definite YES. It was so nice to be able to stop when we wanted, spend whatever time at a particular viewing we wanted, and never have to struggle to find a good spot to get a photo.

Pokea, our guide was absolutely great. If we told him “let’s go find a lion” (or cheetah, leopard, elephant hippo etc) off we would go and pretty soon we’d find ourselves closer to our animal than we ever dreamed we would be. Even Pokea was excited when we spotted a pack of Africa wild dogs, as he had not seen them in Tanzania for over 3 years. Our pack walked calmly within 5 feet of us.

What else can we say? We thought that this would be a once in a lifetime trip, but after our experience in Tanzania and with ADS, there’s little doubt that we will be making a return trip in a year or two. The pictures say it all. Enjoy!

Bill and Sue D.
Friendswood, Texas
Safari Dates: August 30, 2014 to September 10, 2014

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Our Dream Trip Was Realized

We just returned from a 9 day safari with ADS. We cannot thank the staff enough for the planning and attention to detail that we experienced. For a trip of this magnitude, there is an overload of information – and much of this is included in their client preparation packets.

We saw the wildlife in numbers that one couldn’t imagine. The pace of the trip was good, the selection of the lodges and camps were excellent and in the “right order”, and the all inclusive nature of the experience put us as ease throughout our vacation.

Our guide was bright, experienced, and flexible to our wishes. The food was too good. The physical demands were appropriate and manageable. Our dream trip was realized and we had begun planning our next visit to Tanzania on last day- a good sign!

Sincerely,

Doug and Carolyn G.
Tiburon, California
Safari Dates: October 31, 2014 to November 9, 2014

Black Rhinos – Ngorongoro Crater

Lioness and cubs – Central Serengeti

Elephant at Mara River – North Serengeti

Sundowner at evening game drive – Buffalo Springs Camp, North Serengeti

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